Nuclear Dreams
by TweetyPie82
Summary: ADULT. Sequel to Daddy's Little Girl. A murder at the local nuclear power plant brings with it an unfriendly face from Nick's past. NickNat. WIP
1. Chapter 1

Nuclear Dreams 

Some lawyer stuff to discuss: First of all, I give my permission to post on Mel's Forever Knight Fan Fiction Page and Anita at fkfanfic2. It will also be available for download on my website at http/ Second, I do not own most of the characters. Jim Parriott owns Nick, Natalie, Donald Schanke, Amanda Cohen, and LaCroix. Rawley Wilkes and Falcon are names I had gotten from the movie "Lone Wolf McQuade". These characters I am borrowing for my enjoyment, and hopefully yours too. I, myself, do own Nichole Ann de Brabant Knight, thou. So please ask before using her. Any resemblance to anyone mortal, dead, dhampir, or vampire is purely coincidental. The song that Nick plays on his stereo is "I Think of You" by Collin Raye. The songs Nichole plays is "Father of Mine" by Everclear, I just changed a few words to fit the plot, and "Daddy's Girl" by Red Sovine. The poem LaCroix recites in his monologue is Thomas Hardy's 'The Man He Killed' taken from A Child's Anthology of Poetry edited by Elizabeth Huge Sward with Victoria Flournoy McCarthy. :-&

I have not been to Toronto, so please excuse me if landmarks are not real or in the right places. Flashbacks are titled correctly, with 'Flashback' and 'End of Flashback'. Everything that is in apostrophe '…' are the characters' thoughts. :-

This is the second story in the Nichole Continuance. It takes place two months after "Daddy's Little Girl", (which you may get from me, my site, or from the FKFanFic2 site) it is not necessary to have read the first story to understand the storyline. Within the two months time span, David has been moved back in with his father (court's decision) and Schanke, Nick, & Natalie transferred from the 23rd precinct to the 96th.

Because Don has strongly mention that ANY MENTION OF GENTAIALS is considered adult subject matter, part three is described as adult. I would most likely rate it R for content, it is only a itsy-bitsy-tiny-weeny part.

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Nuclear Dreams

Part 1?

Nick Knight walked into the precinct on time. When he entered the bullpen, Captain Amanda Cohen was in her office. Nick hoped that she was in a good mood tonight. He was already looking for his partner, who was suppose to be there already. His search was interrupted by Captain Cohen's quiet, demanding voice, "Knight! Schanke! In my office now!" Well, at least he knew what mood Captain was in. He resumed his search for his partner, his eyes stopped at the desk next to his. His partner was sitting at his desk, and he watched as his partner stood up straight.

"I know I didn't do anything wrong Schanke, I was here on time," Nick told him as he walked up to his side. He agreed with him, telling him that he was also there on time. Both of them walked into the captain's office. "You wanted to see us Cap.?"

"How much have you two got on the McCall case?"

"Same thing we had for a week, Captain."

"I want you to classify it as unsolved and place it on the back burner."

"But, Cap..."

"No 'buts'. You two have a new case. This one just came in," Cohen handed a slip of paper to Nick. He glanced at it, written was the address of a new nuclear power plant on the outskirts of the city limits. "ME is already on the way, detectives."

"Do you know who it is?" Nick asked. He also needed to talk to Natalie, and hoped she is on this case.

"Yes, Detective. You know who it is, as well as I do."

"Dr. Lambert?"

"The one and only. Now get going before I bust you down to traffic officers."

"Yes Ma'am." Nick and Donald Schanke answered in unison, and stumbled out of the office into the bullpen. Fellow officers and detectives watched as the two trotted out to the parking lot and to the caddie, or as Schanke had been known to call it once or twice, 'Titantic'. After a few minutes, Schanke broke the silence, "So where are we headed for this case, Partner?"

"That new nuclear power plant that was built recently just outside of the city." Nick answered without taking his eyes off the road. "I hope we can hurry up and finish this investigation."

"Why do you say that?" Schanke was trying to keep the conversation going, maybe he could learn something about his close-mouthed partner. Nick then skillfully navigated the caddie to a protected parking spot.

"Because Nichole is home alone and I want to spend some time with her, that's why. We're here." Nick announced to Schanke. He looked outside of the car for the first time in the last 30 minutes, and found a front of a nuclear power plant building looming in front of him. Nick was already out of the car looking for a familiar Ford Taursse, he spotted it as it pulled into the parking lot. Schanke was out of the car and making his way to the entrance, while Nick walked over to the new arrival. As he approached the car, his query steeped out of the car in question. "Nat? Do you have a sec?"

"No Nick, I do not. Why? Do you want to talk to me?" Dr. Natalie Lambert answered Nick.

"Why, yes..."

"You can walk with me inside and talk on the way. So what do you want to talk to me about, Nick?"

"It's about our relationship, Nat."

When she heard that last statement her mind told her, 'This is it. He is moving on, without me.' Not to let her fear get the better of her, she responded with, "What about our relationship, Nick?"

They both had just walked inside of the entrance, Nick had better talk fast to get his point across. "Nat, I'm not a man of words. I don't know why I find this difficult to say, maybe it's my 13th century upbringing. Oh, hell. Natalie Lambert, I love you with all my heart. I know this isn't the appropriate time to ask, but will you do me the honor, Natalie Lambert, of becoming my wife for all eternity?" They walked into the crime scene, a room in the working part of the plant. Nick notices this little detail and continued to whisper into Natalie's ear, "You don't have to answer right now, just let me know before the night is over."

Without thinking of what her soulmate just said, Natalie hoarsely answered, "Yes, Nick Knight. I will marry you. I love you with all my heart and soul."

Nick had meant to ask her one month ago, but found it difficult to form the question into words. As Natalie bent over the victim, he could visibly see her scar that had appeared two months ago. It gave him a pang of guilt everytime he saw it there on her neck. "So, what do you have for us, Nat," Nick asked to break the tension in the room.

"Male in the mid 30's. Gunshot to the chest with what appears to be a .22 rifle." She said in her 'professional mode' to the two detectives and the captain. "I'll know more once I get him back to the lab. I should have the post before lunch."

Before she can turn around and leave with the body, Nick had grabbed her arm, and whispered, "Nat, come spend the day at the loft with me, please?"

"Okay, Nick. What about Nichole?"

"I'll send her to a movie she has been wanting to see. I better see what Schanke has got. Bye, Nat."

"Bye, Nick." He watched as she walked out of the plant. He then turned to find Don talking to someone who was well dressed and looked like they owned the plant. For some odd reason, the man in front of Donald looked familiar to Nick. He walked up to his partner, startling him.

After he had given him a brief time to calm down he proceeded, "So, what have you got, Schanke?"

"Nick, this is Rawley Wilkes. He owns this building and the surrounding property we are now standing on. Mr. Wilkes this is my partner, Detective Nick Knight."

Nick started in disbelief as Schanke said the well-dressed gentleman's name and he could barely contain the rage he felt toward this man. All of the rage was not coming directly from him, half of it was coming from Nichole. Mr. Wilkes had a look of recognition plastered on his face as he looked at Nick.

"Razón me, Señor Knight. Do I know you? You seem familiar." Mr. Wilkes stated flatly, slightly accented in Spanish.

"I just have that kind of face, I guess." Nick replied dryly to the curious statement.

A few hours later, after the authorities left the plant and finished the investigation of the crime scene, Mr. Wilkes turns to his assistant, "Falcon, find everything you can on Detective Nicholas Knight."

"Sé, Señor Wilkes." The man retreated to where ever he had come from.

At the precinct, Don decided to grill his partner's actions at the crime scene tonight. "You know Wilkes, don't you?"

"Like I said before to him, Schanke. I just have that kind of face." He almost growled at his partner, seeing the man that he knew killed his latest ex-wife didn't set well with him.

"Come on, Nick. I saw that look on your face the second you laid your eyes on him. You had the exact same look he had when he saw you."

'Damn him! He's just too smart for my diversion tactics!' Nick started to stand, "I'm going to lunch, Schanke. While I'm on my break, I'm going to see what Nat's got from the body."

"Aren't you going to check on Nichole while you're at it?"

"She's a big girl, Schanke. She turned 13 last month, and besides I only get an hour for my lunch break." Nick retorted rather angrily and made a hasty retreat out the door, not before signing himself out.

'Schanke's right, though. I haven't been paying much attention to her lately. Maybe I should call her from the morgue to see if she's up for a little of quality time, maybe Paris for a week or something. He had noticed how much Nichole was becoming more nocturnal like him, so he wouldn't be surprised if he called the loft at this time of the night and she would answer the phone. He turned on the radio hoping it would improve his mood, but once the voice of his master came through the caddie's speakers it caused his emotions to contradict inside of him. The ancient's voice had calmed Nick's nerves, 'very' little that is. He is still 'very' enraged at this moment and LaCroix's topic doesn't help matters one bit. He placed the caddie in gear as his master's voice rang out of the speakers.

"Ah, gentle listeners, tonight we talk about rage and revenge. How each seem to go hand in hand throughout history. First comes the rage that makes us commit a rather bad 'altercation'; next comes the revenge to avenge the actions taken out on someone the renegade cared for. Let us go deeper into the rage and what it drives us to do. I believe our friend, Mr. Thomas Hardy, has placed into simple words we might comprehend."

Nick sat at the wheel gripping it so tightly, that it might crumble into dust if he held it anymore tighter. The light turned green just as LaCroix's voice recited Hardy's 'The Man He Killed'.

"'Had he and I met

By some old ancient inn,

We should have sat us down to wet

Right many a nipperkin!

"'But ranged as infantry,

And staring face to face,

I shot at him as he at me,

And killed him in his place.

"'I shot him dead because——

Because he was my foe,

Just so: my foe of course he was;

That's clear enough; although

"'He thought he'd 'list, perhaps,

Off-hand like——just as I——

Was out of work——had sold his traps——

No other reason why.

"'Yes; quaint and curious war is!

You shoot a fellow down

You'd treat if met where any bar is,

Or help to half-a-crown.'

A small amount of silence followed the citation for reality to sink in before LaCroix continued, "What was done to make you turn to rage, my children? Confide in the Nightcrawler. Call and we shall discuss."

Nick, disgusted that his father would even go that far, abruptly and furiously switched the radio off. He drove half of the way to the morgue in silence, brooding in his mood before he came to a decision. 'Maybe I should just book off the rest of the night. I could call Nat from the loft and tell her where I am. Don would be rather upset with me, but hell, I need some time alone with Nichole right now. I haven't been spending enough time with her lately. Captain would understand, I hope.' With that thought in mind he fished out his mobile and dialed Captain Cohen's number.

"96th precinct. This is Captain Cohen."

"Captain, this is Nick. I was wondering if I could book off early to spend some much needed time with Nichole?"

Cohen, being a woman herself, understood what Detective Nick Knight was asking for. She knew he is only asking for this just because he had most likely been neglecting his daughter and putting his work before her. "Sure thing, Detective. I expect that report on my desk before the end of the shift tomorrow night. I will tell your partner of your unexpected change of plan."

"Thanks, Captain. I know Nichole would appreciate this." After they said their byes, Nick hunk up the phone and turned the caddie right around and headed for the loft. He drove straight there, rage still pulsing from him. As he arrived at the warehouse he called home, his rage had somewhat abated from him. 'I can't be this much angry around Nichole, she'll sense how angry I am.'

Nick opened the garage door and pulled the car inside, and gotten out. He punched in security code and waited impatiently for the lift to retrieve him from the ground level. Once the lift had finally arrived to him, he got inside and pushed the button for the second floor. As the lift neared its destination, he heard the most dearest, precious, and loved heartbeat to his own still heart.

The lift stopped at the desired place, and he opened the door to be attacked by a flying 13-year-old girl. "Daddy! What are you doing home so early?"

"I thought we could spend sometime together, just the two of us. Nat's gonna spend the day with us, Princess. Guess what I finally did tonight?"

"What was that?"

"I finally asked her. Speaking of Nat, I better call her and tell her where I'm at and with whom."

"Mom was expecting you at the morgue?"

"Not exactly. Schanke probably told her I was going over there to see what she had gotten from the autopsy tonight." Nick said as he shifted his daughter to one side to put her down, and made his way over to the phone. He picked up the receiver and started to dial the so familiar number before he was stopped by a questioning child. He hung up the phone to give her his full attention.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Princess?"

"Why are you mad?"

"You can feel 'that'?"

"It was very strong, how could I not feel 'that'?"

"I saw somebody from the past, I didn't like him then. I still don't like him now, but for a different reason."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No thanks, Princess. You don't want to hear it."

"Okay."


	2. Chapter 2

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Nuclear Dreams

Part 2?

Meanwhile at the plant, Mr. Wilkes was in his office when his 'assistant' knocked on his door. "Come in, Falcon."

"Sé, Señor Wilkes. I have the information you wanted." A small Hispanic male stepped into the office. He had a thick, black mustache and a very thick Spanish accent.

"What do you have for me, Falcon?"

"Señor Knight was very hard to trace, but I finally had found something to give you. It should be very intriguing, including his financial background."

"Continue, Falcon."

"Sé, Señor Wilkes. Señor Knight's whole name is Nicholas de Brabant Knight. He is connected with the Brabant Foundation in Montreal. I managed, after some very difficult searching, to find a picture of the chairman of the foundation." Falcon pulled a glossy 8.5"x11" paper and showed it to Wilkes. Wilkes eyebrows would've touched the ceiling if they were not attached to face. "Of course to me Señor de Brabant looks exactly like Señor Knight. That was not the only thing I found out about Señor Knight."

"Continue."

"Señor Knight lives in a warehouse owned by the Brabant Foundation. The floor he made habitual is under his name. He also does not live alone."

"Now you maybe getting to something I might be able to use. Continue."

"Señor Knight lives with Señorita Knight, his daughter."

"What is her 'whole' name, Falcon?"

"Nichole Ann de Brabant Knight, Señor Wilkes."

"Graçias, Falcon."

"Your welcome, Señor Wilkes."

"Now go." Rawley Wilkes quietly demanded of Falcon, who was now making a hastily retreat out of the office, leaving the file of Nick on the desk. He picked up the phone and dialed another number, Mr. Wilkes gave the other person some instructions and Nick's address. After completing the conversation, he hung up the phone with a smug smile on his face. 'Señor Knight has got to be Señor Chasez, that bitch's husband who betrayed me in Buffalo, New York. That bitch being Nancy Anna Chilton.'

(Next Monday)

Nichole was up and ready for school before her alarm clock went off. She was in the process of making up her bed as the damned thing went off. She automatically reached over and hit the button rather hard to turn off that awful sound it made, she smashed it to bits. 'Great, Daddy's gonna really be mad at me now. That's the third alarm clock I ruined this month alone.' She also noticed that she has slowly gaining her father's powers, except hypnotizing, enhanced senses, and levitation, as of late. She had already developed those abilities before now. Not only that, she has noticed that her slight allergy to the sun has grown to slight photosensitive. She has also had difficulty eating certain food, like garlic, and discomfort around religious symbols. She only hoped that her father didn't notice it.

She was in the process of making her bed when her father popped his head inside the door. He looked around for the clock to see if his eyes were deceiving him. He found it right were it should be, smashed to bits. "Nichole, that's the third alarm clock you ruined this month." He said, stepping into the room and closed the door behind him. "We have to talk, Princess." He motioned to the now make bed, "Sit down." He waited for her to comply. He continued, "I have been noticing that you have changed slowly over the last two months. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not now Daddy, I want to talk to Mom first. Is that all right with you?" She knew how much her father hated to be a vampire now, but if she told him that she is slowly coming across she was sure he would blame it on himself.

"Of course it is all right with me, but I want you to promise me something first?"

"What is that, Daddy?"

"If you change the slightest bit more, I want you to tell me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Sir. I understand."

"Good, now hurry up and leave before you're late for school."

Nichole grabbed her pack back and headed to her door. Downstairs, she headed to the lift and took it down to the garage. She exited the garage, and spied a '83 Oldsmobile ninety-eight parked across the street. As she took off down the street to the bus stop, the car followed her keeping a few blocks between them.

A few blocks from the loft, the car sped up to rest next to her. The man in the back seat opened the door and pulled her in the car, he pointed a handgun to her temple. Trying to disguise his voice, and failed miserably, the man said, "Just be a good girl. Don't fight, fidget, bite, or scream. If you follow those rules, you would do just fine. I'm going to place a gag in your mouth, and then blindfold you. Open your mouth." She complied with the stranger and found a sock stuck into her mouth. "Good girl, now close your eyes." She did and found a blindfold pressing against her eyelids. "Take off," he was talking to the driver of the car. Not before she noticed that he still held the handgun to her temple, she began to mentally panic.

"Hold the gun will you, while I tie her up," he said to the person next to him. She felt the seat shift and the gun move from her temple. "Sit up," he was talking to her now, she complied. She felt him grab her wrists and tie them with rope so tight that he was cutting off her circulation. He roughly pushed her back into the seat. Once she was settled back, she started to work immediately on her bonds. The second she moved her fingers she felt the gun back up against her temple. 'He got the gun back in his hand. Damn!' She stopped moving altogether. They continued to drive for thirty minutes to an hour.

Nichole felt the car slow down and stop. She heard the car door open quickly, and felt someone reach in and pull her roughly out of the car. Somewhere behind her, she heard a masculine voice heavily accented in Spanish order whoever was holding her, "Take her the 'room'." She was not going to go anywhere that doesn't sound pleasant, and that didn't sound pleasant to her, so she started to struggle. She didn't get very far before a strong, large hand slapped her face with enough force to knock her off her feet. When her head hit the ground, she hit it with so much force that it caused her to pass out. She didn't feel the two pairs of strong hands pick her up and carry her away.

Nick was getting ready for bed shortly after his daughter left for school. He shot straight up as he felt something was wrong. His muscles tensed as if for a fight, he searched the loft for intruders and found none. He opened his mind to get a better feel from where the emotion had come from. He found it came from a few blocks away from the loft, the same direction Nichole takes to get to school. A few minutes later, he felt his hands go numb as if somebody tied a bond around his wrists too tightly. 'Nichole is in trouble, and it's all my damn fault.'

With no more feelings coming to him, he climbed into bed hoping his exhaustion would claim him and that feeling from his daughter was a false alarm. Just as he was starting to doze off to DreamLand, he felt a sharp sting as if someone slapped him across his face and then shortly there after, he no longer felt his daughter. "NICHOLE!" he all but screamed into the dark room. He lost all thought for sleep for the day.

Nick got up and went downstairs to use the phone. He picked up the receiver and quickly dialed the one number he could always count on, Nat's. He waited until the familiar voice had completed its sleepy greeting. "Nat, its Nick. Can you come over right away? Something has happened, but I can't do anything about it until later."

"Sure. No problem Nick, I'll be over within the hour. What is it?"

"It's Nichole. Something has happened. I don't feel her like I normally do." He said the latter so soft that Natalie had to strain to hear it. His voice was full of something...fear, needing, what she did not know. All that she knew is that Nick needed her to talk about his daughter.

"I'm leaving now, Nick. She'll be all right. She's a big girl."

"She's not that big, and she's still my baby girl." Nick said that statement with his voice quivering, sounding so far away. He started to remember when Nichole had first arrived into Toronto.

Flashback

(Toronto, Canada; April of 1989)

Nick went to the Raven to see Janette about getting some information on his latest case. Just as he walked up to the vampire bouncer at the door, he heard a child yell, "Leave me alone! You said you'll help me see Janette!" He took to the air after stepping into the shadows, and located the source of the sound about three block away. As he landed in the shadows, he looked to the owner of the voice and momentarily froze in his tracks. He looked at the child's attacker, a male fledgling of no more than fifty years, and became enraged. He watched as the fledgling began an advance on the helpless child, and stepped out of the shadows just as soon as the fledgling past his hiding spot. Now that he was behind the younger vampire, he picked up the offending fledgling and threw him against the far wall of the alley.

This action angered the younger vampire, "She's mine, Old Man! Go drink your cow!" He picked himself up off of the wall and flew at Nick, fully vamped out. Nick, ready for a fight and fully vamped out himself, watched as the younger vampire picked himself up and flew at him. At the last second, Nick stepped aside and let the fledgling slam himself into the wall again. This time Nick did not give the fledgling a chance to attacked him once more, he was on the younger vampire and had him up against the wall with his hand wrapped around his throat.

Nick leaned in close and hissed in the fledgling's ear, "You leave this alley now and leave the child to me! If I find you near her again, I WILL make you wish you had not met your master!" He let him go and watched as the young fledgling took to the air in fright. Now that the immediate danger was out of the way, Nick turned his attention to the girl. He looked at the frightened child. She looked hungry, battered, and pale. He could clearly see a black eye and a few bruises as well as cigarette burns on her face under her golden curls that looked like she robbed from Nick, she looked at him through terrified wide eyes that also looked like she stole from him. The resemblance was strikingly familiar, almost like they should be family. As he approached her, she moved back further and screamed. Nick stopped his advance and held out his hands as if to receive a hug. "It's okay, Nichole. I won't hurt you."

"Get away from me, you monster!" She yelled again, but stopped as she realized that he said her name. Then asked softly almost inaudibly, "How do you know my name?"

Nick started to think about the letters that he wrote to her, which she got through her social worker, and decided to use his pet name for her. "Perhaps I should call you 'Princess'. Now do you recognize me?"

She nodded her head and ran from her sitting position, forgetting momentarily that he was a monster, squealing, "DADDY! Please don't take me back! I'll be good, I promise! PLEASE!"

Nick picked her up and hugged her tightly against his body, "Tell me what you are doing here."

"I ran away from my foster parents. They are mean. I don't wanna go back."

"Why?"

She pointed to her injuries and said, "Robert did this and this and this." She pointed to the black eye, some of the newer bruises, and the cigarette burns that covered her face. "I told Sarah and she said that she will see what she could do, but Robert and Mary have ties within the system so they would do anything to keep me with them." She said to him thinking of her social worker and latest foster parents.

Nick didn't say anything, but moved back into the shadows and took to the air with the child still hugged tightly to his six-foot frame. He landed back in the shadows outside of the Raven, and climbed back into the caddie. Forgetting about the case, Nick started the engine and pulled from the curb but not before buckling Nichole's seat belt. Fishing out his cell phone and dialed the precinct. "Yeah, this is Knight, can I speak with Captain Stonetree?" He listened as the desk sergeant transferred his call to the captain's cell phone.

"This is Stonetree. Where in the hell are you Knight! They found another body that might be related to the case and here you are out of reach! I just was going to put an APB out on you and here you call out of the blue! Get your butt here or I'm going to have to throw my threat into action!" Stonetree growled into the phone at Nick.

"Uhh, Cap..."

"I don't want no excuses, get your sorry butt here on the double!"

"Yes, Sir. But where is here, exactly?" He heard Stonetree give a frustrating sigh.

Stonetree gave him an address in the most fancy part of their jurisdiction and then hung up. He turned to look at his small companion and found her with her eyes curiously on him willing him to do what he must do. When he looked directly into her eyes he also saw pure fear of being abandoned again. That emotion he saw in one so young tore at his unbeating heart, 'She is staying with me. LaCroix be damned if he decides to ever hurt her.' "Do you mind staying in the car for awhile while I take care of some business?"

"No, I don't mind. Who's LaCroix, Daddy?"

End of Flashback

The sound of the lift engaging had brought him out of his memory. He listened carefully as he heard the most loved heartbeat he loved as a man. It was her heartbeat. Nat's heartbeat. He turned his head to the door of the lift, his eyes full of unshed red tears as Natalie stepped out of the lift.


	3. Chapter 3

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Nuclear Dreams

Part 3?-ADULT

Nichole fought her way to consciousness. Her head hurt like nobody's business and her mouth was dry as the Sahara Desert. She was also starved, not for the solid food that was left on the table near the door for her to eat. She opened her eyes and looked about the room in a red hue. Her canines itched and grew to full-length fangs. She started to panic and become frustrated at her current situation. She softly whispered, "Daddy, I'm scared! Where are you?" Her internal clock told her that it was mid-afternoon, and she should be ready to go home for the day from school. To be sure that she could still stand direct sunlight, she moved to the window and bravely stuck out her hand. Her hand started to burn and slightly smoke as she heard the lock in the door click for entry of an unknown person. Remembering the Code, what her father practically lectured endlessly about, she closed her eyes and tried to clear her head. While doing so, she removed her hand from the sunlight.

Nichole heard the beating of a healthy heart walk closer to where she stood. She did manage to ignore the siren call of human blood and the promise of a satisfied hunger as a warm huge hand of a male grabbed her from behind, and threw her back on the bed. Her eyes now blue, she watched in horror as the man undid his belt and pants as well as hers. She watched as he lowered his pants and undergarment, he proceeded to do the same with hers. Now terrified at the sight of the grown man's erection, she did the only thing that she knew she could do despite her weakened strength. She mentally pictured throwing him across the room and slamming his body into the opposite wall. She forced all of her will power and anger at the resurfacing memories of her last foster father, Robert, toward the man who is now climbing toward her from the foot of the bed. She watched as the mental picture played out in front of her very eyes.

She heard the satisfied thump of his body hitting the wall. Nichole watched as he slumps unconscious on the floor. She snapped her head back toward the door as it was opened quickly and three other men came in the room. They stopped dead in their tracks as they looked upon their comrade slumped on the floor. The first man, who came through the door turned to look at her, he took in her state of fashion and returned his eyes back to his unconscious comrade. He also took in his state of fashion and put two-and-two together. Turning his attention back on Nichole, he ordered her, "Get dressed. You have to make a phone call. I'll be outside, be decent in one minute." He turned around and led the other two goons out of the room, leaving the unconscious pervert comrade in the room with her. She looked toward the still form that laid in her prison, and hurriedly dressed as she was told.

Nick and Nat stood staring at one another until he was just about ready to fall from unsteadiness of emotional distress. She immediately walked over to him and held him like a mother would a child, she whispered soothing words to the distraught and crying vampire. As his sobs abated, she dared asked, "Do you know who would do such a thing?"

Nick shook his head slightly before answering, "Unless Mr. Wilkes figured out who I am."

"What are you talking about, Nick? What would you have to do with the Mexican Mafia?"

"I don't. It was Nancy who had something to with the Mexican Mafia."

"Who is Nancy, Nick? You are confusing me, like always."

"Nancy Anna Chilton 'was' Nichole's biological mother. Remember when I introduced Nichole to you?" Not waiting for her to answer, he continued, "At that time, Nancy had been dead for almost seven years. According to Nichole, Mr. Wilkes was behind it."

"Oh, Nick! I'm so sorry. What did she have to do with the Mexican Mafia?"

Nick moved the two of them toward the couch before he began this chapter of his long life. He didn't want Natalie to get leg cramps just standing there listening as he told her his involvement with his latest ex-wife. He sat her down and told her how he met Nichole's mother and how old Nichole was when he left. He explained that she was a FBI agent undercover working for the Mexican Mafia, more specifically, Rawley Wilkes. He watched her face for any reaction as he told her how his ex-wife was killed and why he thought Wilkes did it.

"Nick, why did you leave your family when Nichole was only six months old?"

"LaCroix. He came by to torment me as usual. When he found out that I had managed to father a child, he became enraged. He took Nichole from my care after he managed to effectively knock me unconscious. Because I was a member of Chicago's police department, I had enlisted help to find her. Nancy and I managed to find her in LaCroix's care in an old church. Now before you ask how he could stand holy ground, I'll answer you with this: he is my master and older than me, so he has certain advantages over me and that is one of them. When we arrived at the location, Nancy offered to go in. She knew what I was and didn't want me in the pain that she knew I would experience. I told her that I should go because I have a bloodlink to Nichole like a master does to a fledgling. That was when she surprised me with her heritage, she was a witch. Then she told me that was why she should go, she also has a connection to our daughter. She found them, but LaCroix didn't want to confront her. He wanted to confront me, teach me a lesson. He held her also, calling me to come to him like I learned when I first awoke in this existence.

"I obeyed and followed the link easily. LaCroix had Nichole laid out on the alter as if he were going to sacrifice her, and held Nancy tightly against his body and had her head pulled to one side as if he were to drain her. He saw me enter. I was in pain, but I did not show that to him. I told him to let my family go. He told me rather sternly that he will under one condition, I leave my family permanently. Fearing for their lives, I hastily agreed. Seeing that I was not deceiving him, he vanished but not before giving me a warning of 'If I should find you in the same company of your child, I shall put my threat into action'. I said my good-byes, and left shortly after that night. Throughout the past years, I kept close tabs on Nancy before she died and even closer tabs on Nichole until she showed up here in Toronto."

Before Natalie could ask anything else, the phone rang. Nick reached over the back of the couch and answered, "Knight."

"Señor Knight I believe you are missing something, no?" A slightly Spanish accented voice responded.

Nick outraged at what the familiar voice was calling his precious daughter answered through clenched teeth, "Yes, I an missing 'someone'. If you harm a hair on her head, I'll kill you myself. What do you want, Wilkes?"

"Just merely to chat and catch up on old times. If you cooperate, you just might get your possession back whole."

"She is 'not' my possession, Wilkes." Nick continued through his teeth barely trusting himself to talk.

"Señor Knight, please try to cooperate. Now, I want you to meet me in Allen Gardens at 11:30pm inside The Tropical House. Come alone."

"I want to speak with her."

"Of course, I can't keep a father from speaking with his daughter, can I? You have fifteen seconds."

Nick listened as he heard the phone move and was startled by a very familiar voice, "Daddy!"

"Princess, did he hurt you?"

"I don't know."

"Where are you?"

"I don't know.'"

"I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, but I'm hungry."

"Are they not feeding you?"

"Yes, but 'not' that hungry."

That sentence gripped at his still heart. Here she is going through one of those 'episodes' where he has to feed her 'protein', and she is trapped somewhere in this town. "Hang on Princess, I'll get you out of there."

"How touching, Señor Knight. Your time is up. As you can see, she is unharmed. If she should stay that way all depends on you, Detective. I trust that you do not enlist any other help from the authorities."

Before Nick could respond, Wilkes hung up the phone. He turned toward Nat's confused face, "That would be that call I was waiting for before I could make my move, but he cut off that plan."

"Is she okay, Nick?" Nat had adopted Nichole as a daughter the minute she learned that he had one. She even spoiled Nichole from time to time thus making them great friends.

"She is okay for now." Before Nat could respond, Nick was up and making his way toward his stereo and album collection. He spotted his Collin Raye CD, which he got shortly after Nichole arrived in Toronto, and plugged it up into the system. "I hope you don't mind Nat, but this song makes me think of Nichole."

"I don't mind Nick. What..." Her question was cut off as a strains of a country song filled the loft. She listened to the soothing sound of a male voice sing:

"Everytime I see a woman on a billboard sign

I think about you

Saying "drink this beer and you'll be mine"

I think about you

When an actress on the movie screen

Plays Lolita in some old man's dreams

It doesn't matter who she is

I think you

"When I see a pretty woman walking down the street

I think about you

Men look her up and down like she's some kind of treat

I think about you

She wouldn't dare talk to a stranger

Always has the be aware of the danger

It doesn't matter who she is

I think about

"You... eight years old

Big blue eyes and a heart of gold

When I look at this world I think about

You... and I can't help but see

That every woman used to be

Somebody's little girl... I think about you

"Everytime I hear people say it's never gonna change

I think about you

Like it's some kind of joke, some kind of game

I think about you

When I see a woman on the news

Who didn't ask to be abandoned or abused

It doesn't matter who she is

I think about

"You... eight years old

Big blue eyes and a heart of gold

When I look at this world I think about

You... and I can't help but see

That every woman used to be

Somebody's little girl... I think about you

"When I look at this world

I think about you"

Nichole had gotten dressed in less than one minute. She sat back down on the bed, and kept her eye on the half naked man laying unconscious across the room until her 'guard' retrieves her from her prison. After the remaining minute was up, her 'guard' opened the door. "You're ready. Good. Now let's go, don't make me use this." He held up a syringe filled with a clear liquid. "It's sodium pentothal. Or in simpler terms, 'truth serum'." Nichole got up and followed the goon out into the hall. The minute she passed the door frame, she was grabbed from behind and had her arms pinned behind her back.

Her captors marched her down the hall and into the lift. She watched as her 'guard' pushed the second floor button. The lift engaged for its descend to the second floor. As the lift slowed to a stop, her captors opened the door and led her down the hallway to the door on the other end from the lift. As the oak wooden door is opened for her entry, Nichole starts to hum a tune that she over the radio.

When she looked around the office, Nichole started to mumble the song she was humming to as she entered the door. She just only changed a few words to fit her:

"Father of mine  
tell me where have you been  
you know I just closed by eyes  
my whole world disappeared  
father of mine  
take me back to the day  
when I was still your golden girl  
back before you went away

"I remember dark night skies  
walking the block  
I loved it when you held me high  
I loved to hear you talk  
you would take me to the movie  
you would take me to the beach  
you would take me to a place inside  
that's so hard to reach

"Father of mine  
tell me where did you go  
you had the whole world inside your hand  
but you did not seem to know  
father of mine  
tell me what do you see  
when you look back at your deprived life  
and you don't see me

"I was five years old  
doing all that I could  
it wasn't easy for me  
to be a scared white girl  
in a black neighborhood  
sometimes you would send me a birthday card  
with a five dollar bill  
I never understood you then  
and I guess I never will

"Daddy gave me a name  
my dad gave me a name  
then he walked away  
daddy gave me a name  
then he walked away  
my dad he gave me a name

"Father of mine  
tell me where have you been  
I just closed by eyes  
and the world disappeared  
father of mine  
tell me how do you sleep  
with the child you abandoned  
and the wife I never saw you meet

"I will never be safe  
I will never be same  
I will always be abandoned inside  
I will always be alone  
now I'm a small teenager  
without a child of my own  
and I swear, when I do, I'm not gonna let him or her know  
all the pain I have known

"Then he walked away  
daddy gave me a name  
then he walked away  
my dad he gave me a name  
then he walked away  
daddy gave me a name  
then he walked away  
my dad he gave me a name

"Then he walked away

Without knowing that she had gotten louder, Nichole heard a slightly accented Spanish voice demanded, "Get her to shut up!" Nichole startled at the intrusion of her singing, but didn't say a thing as she felt the needle slide into her arm.

"Good, now come here Nichole. We have a phone call to make." The voice ordered her again. She walked over to where she pinned pointed the owner of the voice was sitting, after the needle was removed. Nichole looked at the man with hatred. He had a full head of black hair, dark eyes, and a thick black mustache on his upper lip. "If you would be so kind as to give me your home number, then we may be able to tell your father that you are okay for the time being."

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" Nichole demanded of her kidnapper.

"My name is Rawley Wilkes, and what I want is to get better aquatinted with the family of an old employee. I believe the employee's name was Nancy Anna Chilton Chasez. If I am not mistaken, she was your mother, no? The phone number, Nichole. Now! I will also need your father's cell phone number."

"555-4762."

"Gracias, Señorita. But I am warning you, if this is not his number you will be very sorry." Wilkes picked up the phone sitting on the desk in front of him and dialed the number Nichole gave him. After five rings, he heard a recording of: "You have reached the desk of Detective Nicholas Knight with Metro Homicide. I am either away from my desk or off duty, if you leave your name, number I can reach you, and a short message I will get back to you as soon as possible. BEEP" Wilkes hung up the phone quickly, and smiled evilly toward her, "I can't punish you for giving me that number, I will give you one more chance. Give me you home phone number, now!"

"555-4822."

He picked up the phone again and dialed 555-4822. Wilkes counted three rings before someone picked up the other end.

"Knight."

"Señor Knight I believe you are missing something, no?" Wilkes responded with sarcasm at the phone.

"Yes, I am missing 'someone'. If you harm a hair on her head, I'll kill you myself. What do you want, Wilkes?" Nick answered through clenched teeth.

"Just merely to chat and catch up on old times. If you cooperate, you just might get your possession back whole."

"She is 'not' my possession, Wilkes."

"Señor Knight, please try to cooperate. Now, I want you to meet me in Allen Gardens at 11:30pm inside The Tropical House. Come alone."

"I want to speak with her."

"Of course, I can't keep a father from speaking with his daughter, can I? You have fifteen second."

Nichole was handed the phone as well as a gun barrel pointed toward her head, "Daddy!"

"Princess, did he hurt you?"

"I don't know."

"Where are you?"

"I don't know."

"I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy."

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, but I'm hungry."

"Are they not feeding you?"

"Yes, but 'not' that hungry."


	4. Chapter 4

€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€

Nuclear Dreams

Part 4?

Nichole didn't know what came over her to tell her father that last statement, 'Now Wilkes is going to wonder what I meant by that. Stupid, Nichole!' Her father was saying something to her as the phone was torn away from her hand. She watched him finish listening to what her daddy vampire was saying before he retorted evilly to her father, "How touching, Señor Knight. Your time is up. As you can see, she is unharmed. If she should stay that way all depends on you, Detective. I trust that you do not enlist any other help from the authorities." Wilkes rudely hung up the phone and turned toward her. "Now would be the time to collect your father's cell phone number from you, child. Give it to me, NOW!"

"555-1228." She rattled off in fear of the trigger-happy young man who was lucky enough to end up with the gun pointed at her head. She froze as she heard the trigger clink inside the gun. Wilkes nodded his head and Nichole was yanked up out of her chair by two burly looking men. They marched her back to her 'room' to wait for the meeting between her father and her captor. The pervert was removed by the time she returned.

To pass the time, Nichole would practice her telekinesis. She would levitate the bed a few feet above the floor and held it for a few moments. After a few hours of this exercise, which wore her out, she decided to take a nap and hopefully use her link with her father to pin point her location, which worked very much like a GPS signal. She laid down and began to wonder how to do such a thing. Then, she remembered reading somewhere that GPS locator cards emitted a series of repeating beeps or electronic signals when powered. She decided to use that piece of knowledge to her advantage, but she did not know what to use that could specifically identify her to her father.

Nichole started in the phase category, and found nothing useful. Then she went into poetry, and came up empty handed. She moved into songs and almost gave up after a full five minutes of trying to find a song. She then remembered one song that is almost as old as she was. She happened across it by accident really, and at the time she was still blaming her father for her hardships while she was a ward of the state of New York.

Flashback

(Toronto, Canada; May of 1990)

Nichole was not so eager for the upcoming weekend to spend with her father. Fortunately he was still asleep and the sun had yet to set. She decided to go ahead and make her some dinner and listen to one or two of her father's albums on his stereo. She managed to make herself a ham and cheese sandwich complete with a side of Sunchips. She placed her food down on the coffee table and sauntered over to Nick's music collection and picked out a classical album. She let it play as she ate and listened until it was finished. Once the last note faded out, Nichole could hear her father in the shower upstairs.

She hurriedly got up to find a replacement album. She was surprised when she found an album with older country songs recorded on it. Nichole decided to give it a try. The second song to come out of the speakers caught her full attention. Unbeknownst to her, her father came out of his room at that moment and stopped to watch his daughter as she listened to the song play out.

"I recall the night ...  
That you came into this world  
couldn't believe the doctor  
When he said, "It's a little girl."  
I said, "Now Doc you must be wrong  
You see I want a boy."  
Then he laid you in my arms  
And my heart sang with joy. ...

"Daddy's Girl ... Daddy's Girl ...  
I'm the center ... of Daddy's world ...  
I know I'm Daddy's number one  
For he loves me like I was his son  
Daddy's Girl.

"I recall the day I took you to a baseball game  
You brought along your baby doll and half its' baby things  
We sat there a-playin' house, while the Dodgers played the Braves  
And ev'ryone in the bleachers, looked at us as if to say.

"Daddy's Girl ... Daddy's Girl ...  
I'm the center ... of Daddy's world ...  
I know I'm Daddy's number one  
For he loves me like I was his son  
Daddy's Girl.

"I recall the day I took you on a fishin' trip  
You said, "Daddy won't that hook - hurt the fishes' lip?"  
And you said if they don't get air  
Those things in the can will die  
So we turned the worms all loose  
And chased some butter-flies.

"Daddy's Girl ... Daddy's Girl ...  
I'm the center ... of Daddy's world ...  
I know I'm Daddy's number one  
For he loves me like I was his son  
Daddy's Girl.

"I recall the day that your young man came to call  
Seems like only yesterday, you swam and played football  
But I know the time has come, that I must set you free  
But no matter where you are, you know what you are to me.

"Daddy's Girl ... Daddy's Girl ...  
I'm the center ... of Daddy's world ...  
I know I'm Daddy's number one  
For he loves me like I was his son  
Daddy's Girl.

"Daddy's Girl ... Daddy's Girl ...  
I'm the center ... of Daddy's world ...  
I know I'm Daddy's number one  
For he loves me like I was his son  
Daddy's Girl."

"So, you found my secret stash of country music." Nick surprised Nichole as he came down the stairs. She hastily wiped the tears from her eyes, but not before her father noticed them. "Is something wrong?"

"Is that true? All the things that song said?" She asked him while he fixed his 'breakfast'.

"Yes, it is. I went out and bought the album shortly after you were born, Princess. It symbolizes all the things I wish I could have done with you. We could still do the things, but it will have to be at night." He replied waiting for her to make the first move. She cried real hard than ran into her father's arms. He gave her a comforting hug. "It is okay. I'll have to tell you the reason why I left sometime, I didn't exactly do it of my own free will."

End of Flashback

Nick never did tell her yet why he left them, but she promised herself that when she got out of this situation she is going to make him tell her why. Right now she needed to get her father to know where she was located. She repeated the chorus to 'Daddy's Girl' over and over inside her head until it was all she could think about. She then sent it to her father through the link they shared, and waited for acknowledgment. She got it in the form of a verse of the song from him. 'I did it! I contacted him! I hope he knows where I'm at now.' Nichole thought, all she could do was drift off to sleep.

Nick and Nat were sitting on the couch talking about how to get Nichole back unharmed, when Nick stopped in mid sentence. "What is wrong?" Nat asked concerned.

He took a moment before saying anything, but when he did answer he was not talking but singing. "Daddy's girl...Daddy's girl... I'm the center...of Daddy's world... I know I'm Daddy's number one For he loves me like I was his son Daddy's girl" Nick's spirits lifted right then and there. He looked at Nat's questioning look at his sudden mood swing in the right direction. "I know where she is Nat. That is 'our' song. I bought it shortly after she was born." Nat nodded her understanding.

"I recall the day I took you to a baseball game You brought along your baby doll and half its' baby things We sat there a-playin' house, while the Dodgers played the Braves And ev'ryone in the bleachers, looked at us as if to say" Nick sang back to his daughter through their link. He couldn't believe that his daughter figured out that complex procedure of their shared link, even though he himself was still having trouble doing it at will. Granted, he now knew where his daughter was, but he can't do anything with the sun still up in the sky.

"Nick, we can still look for her. You can 'bundle' up in your 'I'm out before I should' clothes and we can drive around in your car. You just tell me where and when to turn or stop. Then, we can come back after sunset and get her back." Nat summarized a plan for them. She knew he wanted to go out right this very second to retrieve Nichole as much as she did. If the sun was too bright for him, he could ride in the trunk with a walkie-talkie and they could communicate that way. She was sure he had a pair around somewhere, especially with Nichole around.

"Yeah, we could do that. But if he has hurt her, I swear Nat, I'm going to kill him myself. I know you wouldn't want to be around if that happens, but I will drain him dry. Right now, I'm considering doing just that for taking her." Nick answered through clenched teeth at the thought of anyone, especially Wilkes, hurting his baby girl. He watched as Nat nodded her head and got up to get ready to find Nichole.

"Nick, are you going to get ready? I'm only going as far as laying out the clothes on the bed for you. Umm, do you have any walkie-talkies? Just in case you have to ride in the trunk." Nat looked at Nick when he didn't get up after a few moments.

"Yeah, Nat, I'll be right there. I was just thinking about Nichole's mother. You know she would probably have killed me if she were still alive, because I let this happen to her." Nick replied as he got up off the couch.

When they were ready to go, Nick and Nat stood in the garage baring themselves for the upcoming task. Nick had already looked outside and found the sky to be overcast. If he kept his skin covered up, he shouldn't have a problem. He climbed into the front passenger seat, and Nat climbed behind the wheel. "Where to now, Nick?" She asked as she started the car.

"East. Try the parkway. I'll let you know when to exit." Nick told her, trying to concentrate on the direction of the link he shared with Nichole. Nat pointed the car in the right direction, waiting on Nick to tell her when to make a turn or when to stop. They ended up in another abandoned warehouse district across town. "Stop! This is the building." Nick pointed to a fairly tall brick building. "She's in there, Nat. I'm not waiting for the sun to set. There is enough shadow and overcast to protect me, I'm going in." He got out of the car and started for the building.

"Nick, I don't think this is a good idea. I'm pretty sure it's about to become sunny any second. Get back in the car, it's mid-afternoon and the sunset should be a few hours away." Nat called after Nick who was just about to fly up the fire escape to Nichole's rescue. He stopped and turned around and then returned to the car. He opened the door and got back inside.

After he settled himself back onto the seat next to Nat, Nick replied to her, "You're right, I should wait 'til sunset." As Nat pulled away from the curb, he mumbled his promise out the window to his daughter. "I'll be back for you, Princess. Tonight, right after the sunsets. Until then, be safe and brave." He sent love and reassurance along the link that he shared with his daughter as he stated his remark.

Nichole's eyes flew open at the strong emotions that she received from her father. The warm glow of love wrapped itself around her like a blanket of safety. 'Daddy is near by. He does know were I am.' As the link between her and Nick started to dull, she knew he was traveling away from her. She cried out in abandonment at her father, "Daddy, don't leave me! Come and get me! I don't want to be left here any longer." Her voice became soft as her outburst grew on. Once the last word left her mouth her mouth, she couldn't but felt betrayed once more and abandoned by him again. She cried herself back to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Nuclear Dreams-Part 5_**

By the time Nick and Nat got back to the loft, he had felt his daughter's anger toward him through their link. He immediately felt guilty for leaving her behind. 'I'm sorry, Princess. I will beck back after sunset. I promise.' He sent to Nichole through their link.

When they reached the loft, Nick immediately knew that he needed help. He walked over to the phone and called the Raven hoping that LaCroix was up already. He breathed a long sigh of relief when the ancient vampire picked up the phone and growled out a hello. "LaCroix, I need your help. Nichole's been kidnapped, and I need to make a plan to get her back. Will you help me?" He asked uncertainly. Nick knew he would most likely get a lecture on something, but he also didn't exactly want to ask the elder vampire for help in returning his daughter.

LaCroix immediately felt anger toward this unknown kidnapper. "Of course Nicholas, I will help. I get what is left after you, no?" He replied into the phone fully vamped out. He growled an approval after he heard his son's through the phone.

"Will you come by after sunset so that we may talk out a course of action?" Nick asked his father, who he knows that at this moment is very angry. "I know you're very angry, but I want my daughter back. Unharmed LaCroix."

"And you shall get her back that way, Nicholas. I just can't make any promises about who took her." LaCroix answered him with deadly quiet. "Sun sets in about half an hour. I'll be there in 15 minutes." He then hung up the phone.

Nick then hung up the phone and turned around to face Nat. "He maybe sadistic, but he loves her like a grandfather. To him, nobody messes with his family and gets away with it. No one." He explained his reason for involving LaCroix. He saw Nat nod her head in understanding.

**(€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)**

Nichole was woken up by the door opening, and she immediately sat up and scooted into the farthest corner away from the door. She didn't want a repeat of what happened earlier, but the man that stood before her held a very expensive looking dress. She didn't make a move to the man, but shot daggers and a look that could kill an elephant his way. "Mr. Wilkes requests that you wear this for dinner. He wants your company at a business dinner." The man said in a suggestive tone to tell her just what kind of company the man wants from her.

She was her father's daughter to the bone. She looked at the man defiantly and spat at him, "Tell Mr. Wilkes he can shove his dinner and that dress up his butt to where the sun won't shine. I will not attend his dinner."

The man entered the room and stalked up to her. He then slapped her with enough force that his hand had busted her lip and bruised her cheek. "Mr. Wilkes does not take no for answer. You either put on the dress yourself, or I will do it for you and I will have some fun if I have to do that." He gave her a suggestive leer and raked his eyes across her body letting her know that he was imagining her naked.

Nichole reached out a hand and snatched the dress from him. She was scared and wished her father or grandfather was here. She waited until he left before showing her fear and her tears. She hated to be forced to do something against her will, but she will not let anyone touch her inappropriately.

Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed and in a limo with her captor on the way to a fancy restaurant. She thought that he was a dumbass for flaunting her around after kidnapping her. The vehicle pulled up in front of the Azure, and he ushered her inside. She managed to see that the sun was low enough in the sky to know that someone will be after her shortly. She felt Wilkes' slimy hand at the small of her back, and she suppressed the urge to shiver violently.

"You can continue what your betraying mother had done for me before I had her killed. If you do not, I will have no qualms of punishing you for it." She heard Wilkes' accented voice whisper in her ear. He then guided her to a table with four more men in business suits. "Gentlemen, I did promise you entertainment, but you will have to share her." He announced their presence to the table.

Nichole glared at them and then to Wilkes as he pushed her to the nearest associate. She tried to detach her mind from her body as the mongrel laid his filthy paws on her, and started to play with her chest. She immediately smacked his hands away from her, and stood up. She took a look around her to see if she could find an escape route. She saw that the only way was to go to the restroom. She ran to it and roared in defeat as she found that there were no windows for her to slip out of. She then decided to hide in there until one of three things happen: One, her father finds her; two, her captor finds her; or three, she either dies or comes across.

The door to the restroom was banged open, and Nichole immediately held her breath. She heard footsteps slowly make their way to the stall she was hiding in, opening and closing stall doors on the way. When the person got to her door, the man opened the door and she recognized him as one of the brawny brutes that accompanied them to the restaurant. He reached in and slapped her again and gave her a black eye for trying to run. She then did the only thing she could think off, she lashed out and with her superhuman strength she managed to beat him unconscious.

Nichole then took the opportunity to run out of the room and the building, and hoped that someone would call the cops at her appearance. She ran out the door and into the sidewalk, having no idea where she was in the city. She knew the best chance for her to escape was to find a crowd and lose herself in it, and headed for what looked like a nightclub full of kids her age. Once inside she quickly lost the dress she was forced to wear, and threw it out of the club. She wore what she had on when she was taken this morning, and blended in somewhat with the gothic crowd. She dared not to get on the phone to call her father or the cops just in case Wilkes' buffoons popped their heads in to retrieve her, and she was reward a few minutes later by seeing a couple of them enter the club.

The buffoons recognized her from across the room. She held her breath as they started to slowly approach her. She waited until a good sized group of kids got in the line of sight before slipping away and disappearing out the back. She needed to contact her father, and she opened the link fully. 'Daddy! Help me, I've managed to get away but I'm lost! I don't know how to get home!' She sent to him as she continued to run down the back alleyway. She knew that if she could just make it to the Raven, she would be safe.

**(€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)**

Nick was pacing and wearing a hole in the floor as Natalie watched. In mid stride he stopped and turned to her with hope in his eyes. He could feel the sun starting to set and wished it would completely disappear. "Nichole had just gotten away and now she is lost." He then looked up as LaCroix landed in the loft.

LaCroix looked at his son and said, "What had happened?" He then vamped out and let his anger dictate his movements for the time being. "It is just about sunset, Nicholas. We must move fast before they catch her again." He said with a deadly hiss and looked back at the younger vampire. "Only you can pin point her exact location."

"I know that, LaCroix!" Nick growled back at him and the looked to Natalie, "Nat, will you stay here incase she does manage to find her way home?" He really didn't want her to see what he and LaCroix would do to Wilkes, as he knew that it would not be a pretty sight for a mortal to witness. After Natalie nodded her head in agreement, she watched the two vampires take to the air.

**(€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€€)**

Nichole could hear Wilkes' men after by their footsteps echoing behind her on the concrete. She didn't stop as she could hear them gaining on her and she pushed herself harder trying to get away from them. She closed her eyes and prayed that they didn't catch her this soon. 'Daddy! Please, come get me!' She let the thought echo throughout her mind as she continued to run from the gorillas after her to drag her back to her captor.

She turned a corner and stopped as she realized that it was a dead end. She was too weak to fly out of there, and she quickly looked for a hiding spot. It was too late to turn around as she spotted a dumpster up against a wall and she quickly moved it from the wall a bit before crouching behind it.

Not too long afterwards, the burly men rounded the corner after her. They slowed down as they too realized that it was a dead end, and began to search the alley for her. When they neared her hiding spot, she held her breath and got ready to fight her way out if she should be found. She quietly released it when they continued on into the alley.

Nichole took the opportunity to quietly come out of her hiding spot and run the opposite way down to the opening. She then continued to run down the previous alley, hoping to come to a major street. She didn't even let her aching side stop her from continuing to get away from her pursuers.

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Nick and LaCroix landed in the dead end alley just after Nichole and her persuers vacated it. Nick roared in frustration at knowing that his baby girl was in danger and he can't do a thing about it. He looked to LaCroix with his golden eyes as if to seek guidance on tracking her down now. "She was just here, and she is too weak to attempt to fly on her own." Nick hissed as he could smell her kiwi and pine scent hang in the air around them.

"Then track her on the ground, Nicholas. She can't be too far from here." LaCroix answered him with his rage barely controlled over some scum taking his granddaughter from where she belongs. He gestured to the opening of the alley and waited for the younger vampire to take the lead. He didn't have to wait too much longer as Nick took off like a rocket after his daughter.

LaCroix didn't waste no time in following his son's trail down the other alley. Both of them were moving in a blur that mortals might see if any were watching. The pair of vampires didn't care who saw them or not, they were too intently focused on finding the youngest member of the family.

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Nichole's hopes were answered as she came to a fairly busy street. She paused for a moment and looked left then right. She decided on a path and took off to the left as she hoped that the goons following her would think that she went right. She continued to run for a few more blocks before she had to catch her breath. She leaned in a doorway out of sight and doubled over holding her side.

She then took the time to peer around the corner of her hiding spot just in time to see her pursuers come out of the alley and stop. They looked around just like she had done and then took off to the right. She let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding and then slowly continued to walk down the street. She looked around as tried to figure out where she was just by the landmarks. She was starting to get frustrated as she couldn't even see the CN Tower, at least she could find her way home with that as a guide.

Nichole turned down another busy street, and missed her father and grandfather emerge from the alley that she had just vacated not too long before. She heard laughter and giggling not too far down this street and she made her way toward it. To her surprise she found a small park with a pond to feed the birds during the daytime. She made her way to the pond and found an empty bench before sitting down and actually taking time to catch her breath. She looked down to her right when she heard a tiny meow and saw a lost baby kitten. It looked frightened and scared. She reached out her hand and let the feline sniff her scent and was rewarded with it rubbing its head against her hand.

She carefully picked the animal up and cradled it to her chest much like she had seen Natalie do with Sidney, her cat. She was rewarded with a small loving purr and she whispered to the animal, "Your lost and scared too. I was taken from my family this morning and held prisoner all day. I wondered what happened to you?" She didn't even know that her tears had started to fall down her cheeks at her statement. She then tried something that she had only done with humans to the poor cat.

Nichole gently eased her mind into the animal's and started to look at its memory. She saw that the cat was beaten for being a cat before being thrown out of a fast moving car in a plastic bag. She then eased her mind out of the kitten's and said softly, "It is okay, little one. I won't hurt you, ever. I know what it is like to be mistreated for being myself." She then continued to hold the baby cat to her and look out over the pond as the only sound she could hear was the kitten's purring.

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Nick and LaCroix exited the alley and looked quickly around as they saw the two large men chasing Nichole run down the street in the opposite direction that the girl had actually gone. They didn't waste no time in following suit of them thinking that is also the direction Nick's daughter had traveled.


End file.
